ABSTRACT
Nation states have accepted this regulatory autonomy by either refraining from enacting legislation governing national sport bodies, or (and this seems to have been the trend) adopting legislation that actually recognizes the exclusive authority of such bodies over national sport organizations (NFs), which in some instances trumps existing regulatory provisions (Findlay, 2013).1 Similarly, with respect to dispute resolution, the emergence of mandatory sport arbitration has seriously limited the ability of national courts to intervene in sporting disputes. The effect of these developments has been to shield the autonomy of the global sport system from regulation by national legal systems. From a legal accountability perspective, this self-regulation has significant implications where the rules and regulations of these global bodies contravene fundamental principles of equity, fairness, and respect for human rights typically enshrined in and protected by national law (Mazzucco & Findlay, 2010a; 2010b).
